Spaces In Between
by SlashAddx
Summary: There was nothing quite like seeing Damon lying on his bed all stretched out with his hands behind his head and shirt unbuttoned.


This was the first story I wrote for TVD

Inspiration: Bloodstream by Stateless

* * *

Visiting his old home used be a comfort. But something had been off all day. The tension in Stefan's shoulders had his whole back in knots. He dropped his keys and jacket by the front door and walked upstairs. The typically locked door to his brother's room was open and music was drifting into the hall.

 **Damon.**

Hesitating first, he paused in the doorway and almost lost his breath. There was nothing quite like seeing Damon lying on his bed all stretched out with his hands behind his head and shirt unbuttoned. The dip and curve of muscles below smooth skin just wasn't fair.

Damon's eyes were closed, but he shifted to the far side of the bed. "Join me." There was no demand or tease in the words. It was just an offer.

The cool, naturally seductive voice had an immediate effect on Stefan. It didn't need to be said twice. Stefan walked over to the empty side of the bed and sat on the edge. He glanced at his brother's bare chest and considered taking off his own shirt. It had been so long. This may not have been that kind of invitation, so Stefan lay down beside Damon with all his clothes intact. It was probably better that way, one of them had to be sensible.

They lay there in silence through the rest of the song. Stefan didn't know the name of it but it was nice. The notes were surprisingly sleepy and the lyrics seemed deep. He closed his eyes before he felt his brother shift closer. Damon's elbow grazed Stefan's arm as they resettled.

The touch tingled but it was the next song that surprised Stefan. They didn't usually like to adhere to a lot of goth vampire clichés, at least if they could help it. But Stateless's song "Bloodstream" seemed fitting.

Stefan was losing himself in the moment. The presence of Damon soaked into him. There was something wild in his scent. Fall leaves and ash from the fireplace, the spicy tang of scotch and cloves mixed together -something dangerous and sexy- pure Damon. The pleasantness of just being still and knowing his big brother was home leached the tension out of his whole body.

 _._

 _Wake up_

 _Look me in the eyes again_

 _I need to feel your hand_

 _Upon my face_

 _._

Damon's fingertips touched his cheek as if the song was giving him instructions. Stefan stayed frozen with his eyes closed, like moving would make it end. Fingertips moved across his lips with barely-there pressure. Following the contours and sparking a thousand memories. There was nothing shy or unsure in his touches, but the gentleness tugged at the buried desire inside him.

 _._

 _Words can be like knives_

 _They can cut you open_

 _._

His brows furrowed at this development, afraid of what it meant. They hadn't seen or heard from each other in years. There was so much uncertainty that built up in the time apart. The back of Damon's fingers stroked down his face, his neck, over his shoulder. Relearning. They curled around his side and Damon's chest pressed against his arm.

 _._

 _And the silence surrounds you_

 _And haunts you_

 _._

The man couldn't have been in town long. Stefan would have asked, but the following question would have been 'how long are you staying?' and he didn't want to think about his brother leaving again. Damon's hand came to a stop on his stomach, the thumb stroking low on his abs sent a shiver through Stefan.

 _._

 _I think I might've inhaled you_

 _I could feel you behind my eyes_

 _._

Lips touched firmly to his cheek, his jaw, and finally with the smallest shift, their lips pressed together. Stefan moaned softly, slightly twisting his body to match the kiss. If Damon's scent turned him on, the _taste_ could make him come before anything else happened. Sensibility be damned. At least the years built up some restraint.

 _._

 _The spaces in between_

 _Two minds and all the places they have been_

 _._

Stefan opened his mouth first, letting Damon deepen the kiss. Letting Damon take whatever he wanted, what they both wanted. He kept his eyes squeezed shut, afraid this was dream or a projection and he didn't want to break the spell. He stretched up as Damon's hands finally dragged his shirt off. Then skin and muscle slid together, hands curled into each other's hair as Damon's tongue reached into Stefan's mouth like he was starved.

It may have been just kissing, but damn if it wasn't the best kiss in a decade for either of them.

 _._

 _The spaces in between_

 _I tried to put my finger on it_

 _._

Damon's hands glided down, eager and greedy to trace the hard line in Stefan's pants. He palmed the bulge as he lifted his knee between Stefan's legs, turning them on their sides towards each other.

Stefan's eyes snapped open and he sucked in a shaky breath. The scent of his brother mixed with arousal permeated the room and filled his lungs. It was like being warm. He licked his lips as Damon kissed down his neck.

"Damon-"

His brother's eyes dimmed a little as he backed up. He looked like he was waiting for Stefan to push him away. He removed his hand from the button on Stefan's pants and fell back on the bed. Looking away, he combed his hand through his hair before dropping it at his side.

"I'm sorry. It doesn't mean anything." The whisper was calm and steady. As if Stefan wasn't kissing him back and everything was nobody's fault. Disappointment wavered in Stefan's chest and he pushed up on his elbow.

"Don't tell me I don't mean anything…" He stroked across Damon's abdomen, hand spread wide, fingers dragging bluntly into the lean muscle.

"That's not what I said." With a sigh, Damon threaded his fingers through Stefan's over his stomach.

"Isn't it?" Positions reversed, Stefan found himself on his side pressed against his brother's arm. Damon's wary expression flickered back. There was something desperate in it, which was just fine with Stefan. He flipped his leg over his brother's thighs, keeping his body up by his hands placed on both sides of Damon's head. His big scary brother was beautiful like this. The hungry expression mixed with the hesitant trust stirred everything inside Stefan to make things right. "How can this not mean EVERYTHING?"

Damon's hands curled around Stefan's ass before pulling his hips down so their bodies were touching again. "I don't want to push you." His looked Stefan in the eye. "You do mean everything."

The raw honesty and guilt in Damon's eyes surprised Stefan. He twisted his hips so their hard groins pressed together. He licked a trail around his brother's ear before murmuring, "I _missed_ you."

A soft smile spread across Damon's face that was more breathtaking than anything Stefan could imagine. He wondered how to make sure the man was always this happy. Damon's hands slid up and curled around Stefan's neck.

"Stay?"

Yeah, he could do that. Unable to speak, Stefan only nodded before Damon arched off the bed and pulled Stefan's into another deep kiss.

 _._

 _You've gotten into my bloodstream_

 _I can feel you floating in me_


End file.
